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Terry Donnelly on June 28, 2018 at 10:09 am

Mr. Smith, I agree that the immigration system isn’t “broken.” We have sound laws that deal with any number of facets of immigration. How to apply for one of the million to legally enter each year is clear. In my most recent column, I laid out more information like what you provided that deals with refugees. They are a completely different classification, but well codified in the INA, the United Nations Refugee Treaty of which we are a confirmed (67 Senate votes) member, and even the 5th and 14th Amendments to the Constitution dealing with due process. Circumstances change and the laws need to reflect those changes. Years ago temporary work visas were made difficult to get because we needed to put people here to work. That isn’t the case now and farmers’ crops are rotting in the fields due to lack of labor. Now is the time to take advantage of our fluid law-making processes and change that so a well vetted pool of migrant workers can be hired to fill those jobs then be tracked to be sure they don’t abuse the system. The broken part of our immigration system isn’t the laws, but following them. Most of the illegals in this country came here in some sort of legal way through a visa or permit, not by simply walking across the border, and have stayed because the U.S. does not have an adequate way to monitor who is here and who isn’t. The government has contributed to the numbers of illegals in the country through neglect, not inadequate laws. Making harsh policy with little or no preplanning or consideration of consequences doesn’t help the situation either. Zero tolerance policies have caused a lot of problems in the past, just as they are now. Even though we are spatting with each other, I hope you are pleased with your adopted country. Making you and all others feel welcome is something we value.

Wow Terry that was a mouthful, hope you don’t mind if I break it up so I can get to answer ever issue you brought up.

Mr. Smith, I agree that the immigration system isn’t “broken.” We have sound laws that deal with any number of facets of immigration. How to apply for one of the million to legally enter each year is clear.

I agree Terry.

In my most recent column, I laid out more information like what you provided that deals with refugees. They are a completely different classification, but well codified in the INA, the United Nations Refugee Treaty of which we are a confirmed (67 Senate votes) member, and even the 5th and 14th Amendments to the Constitution dealing with due process.

I want to stick to the so called “Broken immigration Policy” topic in this thread. We can get to Refugee’s later Terry.

Circumstances change and the laws need to reflect those changes.

I agree Terry.

Years ago temporary work visas were made difficult to get because we needed to put people here to work. That isn’t the case now and farmers’ crops are rotting in the fields due to lack of labor. Now is the time to take advantage of our fluid law-making processes and change that so a well vetted pool of migrant workers can be hired to fill those jobs then be tracked to be sure they don’t abuse the system.

I don’t think we have a “fluid law-making processes” or a “well vetted pool of migrant workers” at this point and if we couldn’t track them then, how are we going to track them now Terry?

The broken part of our immigration system isn’t the laws, but following them.

I agree Terry and when we do all hell breaks lose.

Most of the illegals in this country came here in some sort of legal way through a visa or permit, not by simply walking across the border, and have stayed because the U.S. does not have an adequate way to monitor who is here and who isn’t. The government has contributed to the numbers of illegals in the country through neglect, not inadequate laws.

I don’t know how you can make this statement Terry after saying “the U.S. does not have an adequate way to monitor who is here and who isn’t. I agree it’s government

Making harsh policy with little or no preplanning or consideration of consequences doesn’t help the situation either. Zero tolerance policies have caused a lot of problems in the past, just as they are now. I agree, like zero tolerance policies on cannabis but the law is the law. There are no shades of grey in the Law Terry.

Even though we are spatting with each other, I hope you are pleased with your adopted country. Making you and all others feel welcome is something we value.

We are not spatting Terry we are carrying on an intelligent conversation about important issues and I value everyone’s comments. I wan’t welcome when I first went to the U.S. schools as a young boy but soon got the title of “The Canada Kid” Seems like we agree on a lot of this issue.

AL, We don’t have that “well vetted pool” of workers or a sound way of tracking them. I’m offering suggestions here–trying to add solutions to the conversation. I’d love to have you read my column. If you did, you’d know that my saying that we are “spatting” is just me trying, and often failing, to be clever and glib.

Thank you for pointing that out Terry. You are right, I did misread that statement. But I stand by my answer “I don’t think we have a “fluid law-making processes” or a “well vetted pool of migrant workers” at this point and if we couldn’t track them then, how are we going to track them now”,

I am appalled that you compare your journey to US citizenship to those currently seeking asylum. 58 years ago you chose to leave Canada. You did not have to claim dislike of cold, fear of moose or an allergy to maple syrup. You left. Found a sponsor. Done deal. No one was separating you from your children, questioning your religion,or looking at your skin colour. Pretty sure you are a white male. When you have lived through the terror these refugees have, then I will take your words into consideration. Until then you remain part of the problem.

Thank You Janice for your comment. But 58 years ago I wasn’t making those kind of choices, My parents were and later found out it was due to the cold. (Fact) Remember waking up to 11 foot snow drifts in the winter and had to walk to school uphill both ways. We ate are Moose with maple syrup only after we had are beer and glazed donuts. Think that’s a law in Canada now but I’m not sure. We didn’t find a sponsor we had family in what is now referred to as the socialist republic of California. (turn off sarc) We were separated….. by my parents (large family) most went with my older sister by train but me and one other brother had to ride by car with my parents cause we were born trouble makers. Saw a lot of the country and loved it. This letter wasn’t about asylum… it was about what is Broken with our Immigration Policy.. That you here every time you read a talking head articular about immigration. Thanks again Janice and have a wonderful rest of your life.

Al

P.S good guess on the white male thingy…….. I’m from Canada back in the 60’s Dah

Thank you Lizzy for that information and your perspective, I think Immigration law was written that way for a reason. It’s a Privilege to be accepted to these here Great United States and not everyone is welcome under the law. We did have family here and I’m sure that played a roll in getting accepted. I think we got the term “chain migration” instead of “family-based immigration” from the Amnesty’s dolled out by the U.S.government starting with Reagan and things went downhill from there. Thanks again. Al